Now that the months have turned to summer, folks are spending more time outdoors. Whether that makes you an outdoor enthusiast, or simply puts you in the yard, in front of a grill or by the pool, you may notice new tree damage and unfamiliar insects. While many people associate tree damage with weather events, … Read more
While 2020 proved to be one of the most challenging years we have faced, it was also a year of opportunities and accomplishments for the N.C. Forest Service. COVID-19 brought much of the world and much of our lives to what seemed to be a hard stop, but it did not stop the men and … Read more
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Our N.C. Forest Service creates a report each year outlining the status of forestry resources in the state. Around 61 percent or 18.7 million acres of the state’s land area is forested. Of that 2.9 million is … Read more
Since 2002, nearly all redbay trees have been disappearing in areas south of North Carolina. First detected in Georgia, the nonnative redbay ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus, carried these redbay trees to their dooms by introducing a deadly fungus. While the redbay ambrosia beetle is only about 1/16 inch long, it packs quite a punch against … Read more
An unwelcome sight has plagued our coastal forests for years now. Dead redbay trees line the roadways and mar our coastal forests in southeastern N.C. These trees are dead because of an invader—a non-native fungus carried from tree to tree by the invasive redbay ambrosia beetle. This fungus causes laurel wilt disease and infected redbays … Read more
Big things come in small packages, and that is certainly true in the case of laurel wilt disease, though not in a good way. The tree-killing disease has already killed an estimated half a billion redbay trees across the Southeast. This big problem is caused by tiny culprits, a poppy seed-sized beetle and microscopic fungal … Read more
Each year, the beautiful forests of our state encounter risks from various threats. The significance of native pests vary by year, but the threat from invasive pests is only increasing with time. Some, such as the hemlock woolly adelgid and the emerald ash borer, have the potential to wipe out an entire group of trees in … Read more
In 2002, an uninvited guest made itself at home in the U.S. when the redbay ambrosia beetle was unintentionally introduced near Savannah, GA. By itself, the beetle would probably not be a big deal. However, it carries with it a deadly weapon: a fungus capable of killing redbay trees and other plants in the laurel … Read more
They say “don’t sweat the small stuff”, but as laurel wilt continues to spread in North Carolina, some may begin to question that advice. A microscopic fungal spore carried by a beetle about the size of a poppy seed is killing trees across our coastal plains landscape. And there’s not much we can do about … Read more
Every year, the beautiful forests of our state are at risk from ominous threats. Native insects come and go in significance, but the threat from invasive insects is only increasing with time. Some, such as the hemlock woolly adelgid and the emerald ash borer, have the potential to wipe out an entire group of trees in … Read more
